Overview
Part 1: Requirements: Students should develop a digital marketing strategy plan for a real-life micro business or SME (small and medium-sized enterprise with fewer than 250 employees) based in Sheffield. To verify the number of employees, you can visit the selected company’s website or search for them on the Companies House website (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/compan...).. Important Considerations: DO NOT contact your chosen company, including interviewing the owners, any associated individuals, or customers/consumers, as this requires ethical approval
Examples of micro businesses or SMEs:
• Bakery/Delicatessen
• Green Grocers
• Independent Car Dealership
• Independent Fast Food Restaurant
• Laundrette
• Independent Health Food Store
• Café/Coffee Shop
• Health Spa
• Independent Gym
• Accountancy Firm
• Tattoo Parlour
• Newsagents
• Florist
• Independent Restaurant
• Hairdressers/Barbers
• Local Convenience Store
• Independent Tech/Computer Company
The selected company must have at least some existing social media presence or another form of digital marketing (e.g., a website) to be eligible for this assignment. Completing this assessment will require desk research into the rationale for choosing the company and the digital marketing topics covered.
There are plenty of sources provided in the “Reading list” on Blackboard, and students are expected to engage in independent reading, utilising library and secondary sources. There is no expectation or requirement to contact the selected company or conduct primary research. The formal briefing for this assessment will take place during the final lecture.
Part 2: Main Assignment Tasks (Detailed guidelines for the assignment tasks will be provided during the lectures and will also be made available on Blackboard):
Task 1: Introduction: Introduce the topic and provide a brief background of the selected
company (critical; justify your choice). Propose SMART digital marketing objectives for the
chosen company.
Task 2: Critique of Current Digital Marketing Strategy: Analyse the current digital marketing
strategy employed by the company (i.e., social media marketing and the company’s website)
using the theories and analytical tools learned in the module.
Task 3: Details of the Proposed Digital Marketing Strategy: Demonstrate the application of
digital marketing theory to the selected company and provide recommendations for the most
appropriate use of digital marketing.
Task 4: Reflection on Using Generative AI for Social Media Marketing (note: detailed
guidelines for this task will be made available on Blackboard): Explore the practical
applications and implications of using Generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, in social media
marketing for the chosen company. This task involves creating social media content, using
both ChatGPT and your own creativity. Focus on only one of the following options to complete
this task: Option 1: Social Media Post. Objective: To compare different approaches to creating a social media post for your chosen company, focusing on the same marketing communication objective.
Option 2: Managerial Response to an Online Negative Review. Objective: To compare different methods of crafting a managerial response to an online negative review for your chosen company, while maintaining a consistent approach to customer service and reputation management.
Part 3. Assignment Structure: Your submission should be in a business report format, which means it must include the following sections:
1. Title Page: This should include the assessment title and your student number only.
2. Executive Summary: A brief overview of the report (maximum 300 words, excluded from the main word count).
3. Contents Page
4. Introduction (200 words)
5. Critique of Current Digital Marketing Strategy (900 words)
6. Details of the Proposed Digital Marketing Strategy (1000 words)
7. Reflection on Using Generative AI for Social Media Marketing (900 words)